531 | id == 531
531 | category_id == 29
531 | category_order == 26
531 | category_name == Lupus
531 | category_color == #C47AC0
531 | slug == IRF5-lupus
531 | title == The Role of Interferons & the Th1 Response in Lupus (IRF5)
531 | meta_description == IRF5 encodes a protein that regulates interferons and promotes Th1 & Th17 inflammation. How does it affect lupus?
531 | summary == <p><strong><em>IRF5 </em>encodes a protein that regulates interferons and promotes Th1 &amp; Th17 inflammation. How does it affect the symptoms of lupus? Find out here.</strong></p>
531 | overall_score_text == Your Lupus Score (based on IRF5)
531 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/IRF5-TNPO3-Lupus.jpg
531 | author_id == 1
531 | author_name == Jasmine Foster
531 | author_title == BSc, BEd
531 | author_order == 36
531 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Jasmine.jpg
531 | author_intro == <p><strong>Jasmine received her BS from McGill University and her BEd from Vancouver Island University.</strong></p>    <p>Jasmine loves helping people understand their brains and bodies, a passion that grew out of her dual background in biology and education. From the chem lab to the classroom, everyone has the right to learn and make informed decisions about their health.</p>
531 | reviewer == None
531 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
531 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
531 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
531 | publish_date == 2020
531 | publish_date == 12
531 | publish_date == 4
531 | avg_rating == 5.0
531 | tags_id == 33
531 | tags_name == Autoimmunity
531 | tags_id == 95
531 | tags_name == Immune System
531 | tags_id == 24
531 | tags_name == Inflammation
531 | tags_id == 343
531 | tags_name == Interferons
531 | tags_id == 447
531 | tags_name == IRF5 Gene
531 | tags_id == 84
531 | tags_name == Lupus
531 | tags_id == 440
531 | tags_name == Th17 Cells
531 | tags_id == 435
531 | tags_name == Th1 Cells
531 | permissions_favorite == False
531 | permissions_rate == False
531 | content_article == <h2><strong>Summary</strong></h2> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRF5 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">encodes interferon regulatory factor 5. Variants of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRF5</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> may play a role in lupus by increasing the Th1 response and blocking anti-inflammatory IL-10. Lifestyle, diet, and supplement modifications may counteract the effects of these variants by blocking Th1 and stimulating Tregs and IL-10.</span></p> <h2><strong><em>IRF5</em></strong><strong> and Lupus</strong></h2> <p><a href="https://selfdecode.com/gene/irf5/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRF5</span></em></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">(interferon regulatory factor 5) regulates the expression of interferons and promotes </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/supplements-people-th1-dominant/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Th1</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/th17/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Th17</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> inflammatory responses. Macrophages, a type of </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/how-to-increase-and-decrease-white-blood-cells/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">white blood cell</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> responsible for consuming invading bacteria and viruses, produce a lot of IRF5; in these cells, IRF5 stimulates the release of proinflammatory interleukins and blocks the anti-inflammatory </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/il-10/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">IL-10</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ni.1990"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRF5 has, unsurprisingly, been implicated in a variety of inflammatory diseases, including cancer, lupus erythematosus, and </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/ulcerative-colitis/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">ulcerative colitis</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ni.1990"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://academic.oup.com/intimm/article/30/11/529/5026002"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26192919"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A normal inflammatory response protects your body from invading pathogens like bacteria and viruses. However, inflammation can easily get out of control and do serious damage. In excess, IRF5 may cause damage by over-activating macrophages and stimulating the production of too many inflammatory cytokines [</span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ni.1990"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At least two variants in </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRF5 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">have been associated with lupus in humans. In both cases, the risk allele likely increases the amount of IRF5 the body produces, thereby increasing the likelihood that the body&rsquo;s immune system will attack its own joint tissues and cause inflammation [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4467986/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3605761/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">IRF5 encodes a protein that regulates interferons and promotes Th1 and Th17 inflammation. High levels of IRF5 have been associated with inflammatory diseases, including lupus.</span></p> <h2><strong>Your </strong><strong><em>IRF5</em></strong><strong> Results for Lupus</strong></h2> <p>*1875073144773633*</p> <p><a href="https://selfdecode.com/gene/irf5/"><strong>IRF5</strong></a> <a href="https://selfdecode.com/snp/rs729302/"><strong>rs729302</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://europepmc.org/article/med/23273568"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;A&rsquo; = Associated with relatively lower rates of lupus</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Associated with relatively higher rates of lupus</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;C&rsquo; allele may increase the production of interferons, leading to higher levels of Th1 &amp; Th17 inflammation [</span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ni.1990"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> </ul> <p><a href="https://selfdecode.com/gene/irf5/"><strong>IRF5</strong></a> <a href="https://selfdecode.com/snp/rs4728142/"><strong>rs4728142</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19838193/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Associated with relatively lower rates of lupus</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;A&rsquo; = Associated with relatively higher rates of lupus</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele may increase the production of interferons, leading to higher levels of Th1 &amp; Th17 inflammation [</span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ni.1990"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> </ul> <p><a href="https://selfdecode.com/gene/irf5/"><strong>IRF5</strong></a> <a href="https://selfdecode.com/snp/rs35000415/"><strong>rs35000415</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ng.3434"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms16021"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4966635/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Associated with relatively lower rates of lupus</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Associated with relatively higher rates of lupus</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele may increase the production of interferons, leading to higher levels of Th1 &amp; Th17 inflammation [</span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ni.1990"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> </ul> <p><a href="https://selfdecode.com/gene/irf5/"><strong>IRF5</strong></a> <a href="https://selfdecode.com/snp/rs2070197/"><strong>rs2070197</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://europepmc.org/article/med/19838195"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Associated with relatively lower rates of lupus</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Associated with relatively higher rates of lupus</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;C&rsquo; allele may increase the production of interferons, leading to higher levels of Th1 &amp; Th17 inflammation [</span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ni.1990"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> </ul> <p>*3167534642869776*</p> <h2><strong>Recommendations for Autoimmune Inflammation</strong></h2> <p>*5334404261166386*</p> <h3><strong>Vitamin D</strong></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Both </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/35proven-health-benefits-vitamin-d-part-1/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">vitamin D</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and direct sun exposure also seem to increase IL-10, an anti-inflammatory cytokine which is suppressed by IRF5 [</span><a href="https://nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12937-019-0507-6"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17848808"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2326852/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">People suffering from lupus have lower </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/35proven-health-benefits-vitamin-d-part-1/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">vitamin D</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> levels and are at a higher risk of deficiency than healthy people according to several meta-analyses involving over 4k people [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31520805/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31468723/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29412807/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30636593/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Controlled trials of 490 lupus patients found that supplementation with vitamin D increases the blood levels of this vitamin and may reduce fatigue, but has no effect on lupus severity [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31331447/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although a moderate exposure to </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/avoiding-sun-will-kill-14-proven-science-based-health-benefits-sun/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">sunlight</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is the best way to increase blood </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/35proven-health-benefits-vitamin-d-part-1/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">vitamin D</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> levels, which are often low in people with lupus, the skin of many people with this condition is hypersensitive to UV radiation and develops injuries in response to sunlight [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21593767/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Using highly protective, broad-spectrum sunscreens prevented injuries caused by UV radiation in 3 controlled clinical trials (one of them placebo-controlled) on 56 people with lupus. People with lupus are advised to use sun protection every time they go out [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11132128/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21167404/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23171460/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Vitamin D may decrease inflammation and improve the symptoms of lupus, but be sure to use appropriate UV protection when you go out in the sun.</span></p> <h3><strong>Fish Oil</strong></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dietary fats are believed to regulate the Th1 immune response, which can be overactivated by high IRF5. In particular, </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/top-22-science-based-health-benefits-of-fish-oil/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">omega-3</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> fatty acids (like those found in fish and seafood) are the strongest inhibitors of Th1 [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11261793"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 6 clinical trials (most of them placebo-controlled) of 230 people with lupus, supplementation with 3-20 g/day </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/fish-oil-top-22-science-based-health-benefits-of-fish-oil/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">omega-3</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> fatty acids for up to 6 months improved the symptoms, fatigue, quality of life, blood vessel function, blood fat profile, inflammatory markers and oxidative stress [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2186476/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1004457/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15290734/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17875549/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4538741/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7562770/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, the results are mixed: omega-3 fatty acids were ineffective at improving lupus severity and kidney damage in 4 placebo-controlled trials on 181 people [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8355469/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8172205/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29173690/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3805738/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil strongly inhibit Th1 inflammation and may improve rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.</span></p> <h3><strong>Green Tea</strong></h3> <p><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/green-tea/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">EGCG</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the main active component of green tea, has been found to suppress the Th1 immune response and increase IL-10, potentially counteracting some of the downstream effects of IRF5 [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23064699"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20175943"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a placebo-controlled trial of 68 people with lupus, taking 1000 mg/day of a </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/green-tea/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">green tea</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> extract with 22% polyphenols (equivalent to one cup of green tea) for 12 weeks improved disease severity and quality of life [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28585735/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Some anti-inflammatory nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids and EGCG, have been found to reduce inflammation by blocking Th1 and increasing IL-10.</span></p> <h3><strong>Mango</strong></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of the only natural substances that has consistently been found to reduce IRF5 activity is mangiferin, a polyphenol found in all parts of the mango plant and fruit [</span><a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2018.02622/full"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27277156"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Limited animal evidence suggests that mangiferin may improve lupus by increasing Treg activity [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30359968/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It may not be feasible to get the mangiferin needed by eating mangoes. However, mango leaf extract is available as a supplement.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Mangiferin, a polyphenol from mango, is among the only natural substances found to directly reduce IRF5.</span></p>
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531 | content_learn_more_3167534642869776_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your IRF5 gene is somewhat associated with an elevated Th1 response. However, this doesn't necessarily reflect your overall risk of lupus; it’s just one gene related to it. Vitamin D, fish oil, green tea, and mango may help. Keep scrolling to find out more.
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rsIDs = rs729302,rs2070197,rs35000415,rs4728142
rsStatus = rs729302,,chr7,128928906,A,C,,,29,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs2070197,IRF5,chr7,128948946,T,C,,,31,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs35000415,IRF5,chr7,128945562,C,T,,,33,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs4728142,,chr7,128933913,G,A,,,16,7,HET
